When We Were Little
by Chocobahn
Summary: Adventure of the Police Duo when they were young.


When We Were Little  
  
File I - And So We Met  
  
by Chocobahn  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
Taiho Shichauzo / You're Under Arrest copyright Fujishima Kousuke, Kodansha, Bandai Visual, TBS, Marubeni  
  
This fanfic is purely the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to any other piece of work, either published or otherwise, is purely co-incidental. All characters appeared in this fanfic is designed and owned by Fujishima Kousuke. Anyone think otherwise should contact Fujishima-sama directly via the Goddess Helpline. Just dial your local take-away shop until you get the wrong number.  
  
***** ***** ***** *****  
  
"Ding, ding, ding ..." A short hair girl looked outside the window towards the direction of the noise, the street of Tokyo is always crowded. She could hear the bells ringing in a distance. Puzzled at first, she then discovered that it was nine o'clock in the morning some day in April.  
  
"Mum?" The girl said in her softest voice possible, only barely audible.  
  
"Yes, honey?" A voice replied.  
  
"Do I have to go today? I mean, I'm scared. What if no one likes me?"  
  
"Of course you have to go, darling. You don't have to be afraid. You are a very charming girl. Everyone is going to like you. Besides, this is a very important day for you, honey. We can't be late."  
  
"But mum," The girl answered, "we are already late. I can hear the bells ringing." Her mum sweatdropped.  
  
"Yes, I know, honey. Tell your teacher that you are very sorry and you will not be late again."  
  
"I wasn't the one who was late... you just drive slow." The little girl thought, but knew better to keep her silence.  
  
The car stopped in front of a gate. In a distance, she could see a building with a big sign on it. The big letters "Bokutou Shougakkou" is written across the sign. The little short hair girl got out of the car and turned around towards her mum. "You promise you will pick me up after school?"  
  
"Of course I will, honey. Just wait outside here after school, and I'll come and pick you up. Okay?" The little girl nodded.  
  
"Don't be afraid. Just be yourself. Remember to be polite to everyone you see." The little girl nodded a little more.  
  
"Okay, mum, I will."  
  
Her mum gave her a kiss on the cheek and pat her on the bum. "Off you go." She said. With that, the little girl turned around and ran towards the school. Her mother drove off in their silver Honda Civic Type R. This family has a thing for speed. Everything needed to be quick, quick, quick. This is the Tsujimoto family. They moved to Tokyo a month ago. The little girl's father was a renowned Sumo wrestler. At such a young age, his daughter was already showing sign of great strength. She once lifted a two kilograms watermelon all by herself. Her name was Natsumi.  
  
"I'm late, I'm late," Natsumi thought as she ran towards the classroom. Suddenly she was stopped by a pony-tailed girl, about the same age as her.  
  
"No running in the corridor." She said. Natsumi stared at the girl for a moment and started to run in the opposite direction.  
  
"Hey, stop." The pony-tailed girl shouted after Natsumi. But that only made Natsumi ran faster. She ran from floor to floor, going upstairs and downstairs. Soon she has lost sight of the other girl.  
  
"Phew, that was close." Natsumi exclaimed and looked around. "Where am I now?" Natsumi, through all the cat-and-mouse chase, was lost herself somewhere inside the school. She carefully and slowly opened one of the many doors that lined up the corridor, and to her surprise, it was the school hall. Somewhere on the stage, Natsumi saw an old man sweeping the stage. Walking a bit closer, she realised that this old man was about fifty-something. He was bald, with mustache to match. He seemed to be busy and did not notice Natsumi's intrusion.  
  
"Anou... gomen nasai." Natsumi said in her soft voice, somewhat similar to the manner she was speaking to her mother fifteen minutes ago.  
  
The bald man looked up and noticed a little girl. "huh?"  
  
Natsumi jerked off a little and said again. This time, louder, "Anou... excuse my intrusion, sir, today is my first day here, and I think I'm lost." She was looking down at the ground.  
  
"What class are you in, little girl?" The man asked.  
  
"Anou... Chotto matte kudasai..." Natsumi quickly take everything out of her school bag and searched for her diary, "2-A, sir."  
  
"Oh, I've heard that a new student is coming today. It was you," The man said, "Go outside those doors there," he pointed to the set of doors Natsumi came from, "go downstairs. The third class from the left is your homeroom."  
  
"Domou arigatou gozaimasu, sir." Natsumi bowed.  
  
"Iie.. call me Oshou." The old man said. Natsumi bowed again and disappeared behind the door, wondering why he called himself Oshou. Outside the door, Natsumi suddenly spotted a familiar face, that of the pony-tailed girl. She was still looking for her!  
  
Natsumi quickly turned and ran. The pony-tailed girl must have spotted Natsumi, for she started running after her as well. "Hey, stop." This time, Natsumi knew where to go. She quickly ran downstairs. As she came out of the stairway, Natsumi saw something flashed in front of her.  
  
"Aaa..." Natsumi could not stop in time and banged into it. When she finally got up, she realised that it was a man she has collided with. Tsujimoto quickly bowed her head and apologised, "Sumimasen." When she lifted her head, Natsumi saw a grim-looking man. His clothing were not very tidy, but he has a clean shave. His eyes never seemed to open.  
  
The pony-tailed girl caught up with Natsumi. "Told you not to run." She said.  
  
"What is going on?" The man asked, staring at the two girls.  
  
The girl bowed and said, "Tokuno-sensei, she was running in the corridor and I was trying to stop her. I am sorry that she has caused you so much trouble."  
  
Tokuno-sensei waved his hand and said, "Iie," he turned towards Natsumi. "What's your name?"  
  
It took a few seconds to register the question inside Natsumi's head. When she finally realised, she gave out a quick burst, "Aa... Tsujimoto Natsumi, sensei. Watashi wa Tsujimoto Natsumi desu." She bowed again.  
  
"Sou ka." The man replied, "Why were you running?"  
  
"Anou... I was late, sensei."  
  
"What class are you in, Natsumi?"  
  
"2-A, sensei."  
  
Tokuno-sensei give it a little thought, then said, "Hayaku. Go to class now, and don't be late again."  
  
"Hai." Natsumi said with a bow and quickly dashed off.  
  
"No running, Tsujimoto Natsumi." Miyuki was again chasing after the runner.  
  
Tokuno-sensei gave out a sigh and walked away. "It's going to be rough this year."  
  
-----  
  
"Ohayou gozaimasu, sensei." The whole class can hear the words of a girl busting into the class. Sensei was surprised. "Who are you?"  
  
"Tsujimoto Natsumi reporting to Class 2-A, sir."  
  
The sensei was puzzled, "Anou... this is 2-C. 2-A is two doors down."  
  
Natsumi sweatdropped and bowed deeply, "Gomen nasai." and slowly closed the sliding door behind her. She has forgotten to count the toilets, too. All she remembered what Oshou said was the third door on the left, whereas he actually meant the third class on the left. As she walked in front of the fifth door, she checked the class sign that was written on top of the door, 2-A.  
  
"I'm right this time." Natsumi took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. "Ohayou gozaimasu, sensei." She bowed and went inside the class. As she looked up, she saw a familiar girl standing besides sensei's desk, her back turned towards Natsumi. "Eeeee...... it's you."  
  
The pony-tailed girl turned around and smiled, "Watashi wa Kobayakawa Miyuki desu. Yoroshiku ne onegaishimasu." She bowed slightly.  
  
"Tsujimoto Natsumi." A male voice registered inside Natsumi's head.  
  
"Hai." Natsumi quickly walked towards sensei while Miyuki took her seat in front of the class.  
  
"You are late for twenty minutes."  
  
"You are wrong, sensei. I'm late for twenty-six minutes." Natsumi corrected sensei.  
  
"You are very accurate for a girl your age."  
  
"People say that, too." Natsumi said with pride.  
  
"I want to hear why you were late." Sensei said.  
  
"Well, sensei. We got up very early this morning. My mum wanted to cook a nice lunch for me because today is my first day. But you wouldn't believe what happened. The stove did not work. So we have to go out and buy a bentou instead. Half way to the store, my mum realised that she has forgotten her purse, so we have to go to back and get it. Just before we set out again, we met our new neighbour on the street...."  
  
"Don't tell me you stopped and talked to her, and then you missed your bus, so your mother have to drive you to school." Sensei interrupted.  
  
"Aa... how did you know? That's exactly what happened."  
  
Everyone in the class clapped and cheered, "Well done, Kachou. Another mystery solved."  
  
Kachou twitched slightly. He coughed and said, "Kobayakawa."  
  
"Hai, Kachou." Miyuki stood up, while Natsumi was scratching her head, wondering why the school was full of weird people, first someone called himself Oshou, and now, everyone called sensei Kachou.  
  
"Is that a spare desk next to you?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Yoshi." Kachou said, "Natsumi, from now on, that is your seat." He pointed towards the desk on the left of Miyuki, a prefect window seat.  
  
Natsumi snapped out of her bewilderment. "Hai, sensei." Miyuki gave her a wink. "Aa... Hai, Kachou." Everyone gave out a little giggle.  
  
Kachou nodded, "Hai, hai." Natsumi then gave a self-introduction. She was stopped by Kachou when he realised that she was talking about her life, although there wasn't really that much life going on for a six years old. However, everyone seemed to be quite interested.  
  
-----  
  
The morning went on without anymore interruption. Natsumi tried her hardest to pay attention, but was disturbed by the view outside her window. The class has finally survived the morning when the recess bell rang.  
  
"Hello, Natsumi. Watashi wa Nikaidou Yoriko desu. Yoroshiku ne." A four-eyed girl said when she found Natsumi at the playground. Miyuki and another boy was with Yoriko. "You made quite an entrance this morning."  
  
"If it wasn't for Miyuki, I wouldn't be late for so long." Natsumi said, knowing that Miyuki was listening.  
  
The boy next to Miyuki spoke up, "Natsumi, it's a school rule. No running is allowed in the corridor."  
  
"Who are you?" Natsumi stopped and looked at the boy. He was very tall for his age. In fact, he was the tallest in the class, as Natsumi found out later. At a young age, this boy was already wearing lenses.  
  
"Me? Nakajima Ken." the boy replied, "You were very lucky this morning, if you bummed into Arizuka-sensei, today might be your first day and last day at school."  
  
"Hontou? You can't scare me." Natsumi said.  
  
"You don't know him, Natsumi," Yoriko started, "He is a very scary sensei, and very strict, too. Arizuka-sensei is also our year level co-ordinator. The story has it that one of the older boys were picking on the little ones. When Arizuka-sensei came around, the older boy was given a whack behind the ears, literally, and then suspended for six weeks. All for a chocolate bar. If you have seen him, you will never forget his face. He's like this." Yoriko pulled her face down, making her impression of Arizuka.  
  
Natsumi laughed, "By the way, why is our sensei called Kachou?"  
  
"Ha, you have come to the right person," Yoriko said, "I'm the information centre of Bokutou Shougakkou. If you want to know anything, just ask me."  
  
By now, Natsumi was already shaking Yoriko violently, "Tell me, tell me."  
  
"Stop her... Miyuki... She's... killing me...." Yoriko asked for help in broken words as the school bell rang. Everyone started to moved back inside the school, leaving the shaken Yoriko behind.  
  
-----  
  
Lunch time came and all students ran out of the classroom like hungry dogs as soon as the lunch bell rang. All raced to their lockers or the canteen.  
  
"I never had time to show you around. This is the toilet." Miyuki said as she and Natsumi walked pass a blue coloured door, "and this is the science lab. Only the older students can get in." she pointed to another door. Natsumi wasn't paying too much attention, but she let Miyuki talked anyway.  
  
"I don't think I like you." She suddenly said.  
  
"Ee? Hontou?" Miyuki did not seemed to be surprised, "But I think I will like you. You are a very active girl. You ran pretty fast this morning. Only wish I could run as fast as you can. If you don't want to sit next to me, why don't we toss a coin? Head, we will stay and tail, we ask Kachou to change your seat."  
  
"Why mine? Why not your seat?"  
  
"Because you are the newcomer." They both laughed. Miyuki pulled a five yen coin out as they walked to their lockers. Natsumi's locker was just next to Miyuki's. Miyuki flipped the coin into the air.  
  
"Eeee......" The whole locker area suddenly heard a loud scream.  
  
"Nani, Natsumi?" Miyuki forgot about the coin and looked into Natsumi's locker, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Bentou..." Natsumi said, "My bentou is gone... someone stole it. Look, here is a ransom note." Natsumi took out the piece of paper from inside the locker. Miyuki stood besides her and read it. The paper said,  
  
"Rice cake and sushi,  
  
This Bentou is for Lunch,  
  
Look Inside and See."  
  
Natsumi and Miyuki both looked inside the locker. There was another piece of paper. Natsumi took it out and read it aloud,   
  
"Walk Outside Now,  
  
Take a Look Under the Swing,  
  
Instruction Awaits."  
  
The girls quickly ran outside and ran towards the swing. No-one was near the equipment. Both looked under the swing, and sure enough, a piece of paper was stuck under it. Miyuki ripped the paper off the swing and read it,  
  
"Now it has Begun,  
  
Walk to the Silver Slide,  
  
More Instruction Waits."  
  
Natsumi dashed towards the slide as soon as she heard Miyuki. Kobayakawa followed. At the end of slide lied a piece of paper under a stone heavy enough not to let the paper flew away. Natsumi took away the stone and picked up the piece of paper. It reads,  
  
"Are We Having Fun?  
  
See the Big Fountain There?  
  
You Know What To Do."  
  
Miyuki quickly ran to the fountain. Natsumi was closely behind her, "How long is this going to last? I'm hungry, where's my bentou?"  
  
Miyuki said, "Soon, I hoped." They arrived at the fountain and found a floating paper boat. Miyuki picked it up and read what was inside,  
  
"Go to the Beach,  
  
Walk from Corner to Corner,  
  
The End is Near."  
  
"The beach?" Natsumi asked, "I have only been in Tokyo for a month. I don't even know where the supermarket is."  
  
"The sandpit," Miyuki said, pointing at the sandpit not far away.  
  
"Sou ka." Natsumi realised and walked to the sandpit, "the instruction told us to walk from corner to corner."  
  
"That's what it said. The end is near." Miyuki said.  
  
"Let's hope it is." Natsumi replied and walked from one corner of the sandpit to the another corner on the opposite side, while Miyuki walked from the other two opposite corners. After which they both sat down on a bench near the sandpit.  
  
"What now?" Natsumi asked, clearly irritated. She was very hungry by now, and all this running around searching for her bentou was not helping at all.  
  
Miyuki ignored Natsumi and surveyed her surroundings. She looked at the door of the school building, then towards the swing and the slides. Kobayakawa followed her own footstep with her bright blue eyes and rested on the fountain where they found the last clue. She turned towards the irritated Natsumi and looked at the sandpit. She could see the footprints they made in the sand. Suddenly something clicked inside Miyuki's fast moving brain. She started to make her way back to the lockers.  
  
"Where are you going, Miyuki?" Natsumi said loudly behind Miyuki. "Have you found my bentou?"  
  
Back in the locker room, Miyuki took out her diary and flipped to the page where she could find a map of the school ground. She used a pencil to trace all the route they have taken and found something amazing. "Take a look at this, Natsumi."  
  
Natsumi sat besides Miyuki. "Nani?" She looked at the page.  
  
"Hachi juu?" Natsumi asked in surprise, "What does the number eighty got to do with my bentou?"  
  
"Iie..." Miyuki said calmly, "It's not a number. It is a word, ha... na."  
  
"Hana? What does that mean? What does flower got to do with my bentou now? I am really bad at solving puzzles, especially on an empty stomach." Natsumi complained.  
  
"Eeto ne..." Miyuki pulled out an electronic dictionary and hit a few keys. "Flower."  
  
"Nani?" Natsumi was still puzzled, "that's what I said. Flower. What does it have to do with my bentou?"  
  
"Flower, hana only means flower. I thought it would have meant something else, but it only meant flower." Even Miyuki was puzzled by it.  
  
Out of all the confusion the two girls were having, something hit Natsumi's head squarely from behind. Natsumi turned around and shouted, "Who was it?"  
  
"Natsumi, mite." Miyuki picked up the object, "it's a paper plane. Mite mite, there is something written on it." She quickly destroyed the plane by unfolding it. It read,  
  
"Flower of Beauty,  
  
Our Symbol for Peace,  
  
Spring is time for Me."  
  
"Spring? Peace? What does that mean? And beauty. All flowers are beautiful. Why just this flower?" Natsumi's bewilderment continued to grow as fast as her stomach complaint.  
  
"Chotto... Beauty, Peace, Spring? A flower that is beautiful, it is a symbol of peace, and grows in spring?" Miyuki seemed to be as puzzled as Natsumi. She walked outside the school once more and looked around the playground. In a distance, Kobayakawa found a tree blooming white-pinkish flowers magnificently. It was the flower of Sakura.  
  
While Natsumi was still inside the locker room looking dull and tired, Miyuki ran towards the tree. She walked around the tree and behind it, she saw a box no bigger than her own lunch box.  
  
"Natsumi," Miyuki shouted on top of her little lungs, "I found it, I found your bentou!!" Natsumi jumped up from nowhere and ran towards Miyuki at the speed of a bullet after hearing such a wonderful news. She looked at the box lying behind the tree and immediately recognised it as her own bentou.  
  
"This is my bentou. Oh lovely bentou, I have been looking for you everywhere." Natsumi hugged and kissed the bentou.  
  
"Anou... Natsumi," Miyuki interrupted.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Are you going to eat that? or do you want to hug it the whole lunch time?"  
  
"Oh, of course I'm going to eat it. I'm soooo hungry." The girls found a spot under the Sakura tree and opened the box. Inside it, Natsumi found another note. It said,  
  
"This is the Bentou,  
  
Left inside the Hall,  
  
Open and Enjoy."  
  
Both girls laughed, and then a loud rumbling noise. This time, it came from Miyuki.  
  
"Are you hungry, too?" Natsumi asked Miyuki.  
  
"Ee?" Miyuki asked back, "Now that you've mentioned it, my stomach is complaining as well."  
  
"Here," Natsumi offered Miyuki a rice cake. Kobayakawa looked at the rice cake, and then at Tsujimoto. She was smiling. Miyuki took up the offer, and enjoyed the lunch with Natsumi.  
  
"How was the coin?" Natsumi said after her stomach was full.  
  
"Ee?" Miyuki pondered, "I don't know. You want to know?  
  
Natsumi pondered on that thought for a moment, "Not really."  
  
Miyuki asked, "Want to do it again?"  
  
Natsumi nodded, "I will flip it this time."  
  
"Sou." Miyuki give Natsumi a five yen coin.  
  
With all her might, Natsumi threw the coin into the air until it disappeared against the blue sky. Miyuki followed the coin until it was not longer visible. After that, the two girls went inside the school and enjoyed the rest of the day.  
  
Ken, meanwhile, was wondering around in the school garden. Suddenly, something fell on his head. "What is it?" Ken asked himself as he picked up the object on the ground that was once flying. It's a five yen coin. "Aren't I lucky today, I found a five yen coin inside the locker room, and now, it flew out of the sky. Hope it starts raining five yen coins soon." With that, one more happy child went back inside the school.  
  
~ O S H I M A I ~  
  
Author's note:  
  
First of many little adventures that Miyuki and Natsumi are going to have, I hope. I tried to make this into a mini version of OVA 1. Hope you like it. Oh, I wrote the haiku in this fic, how is it?  
  
If I get good reviews, I will follow up with more adventures. 


End file.
